


It Kinda Makes Sense...

by RinBob2410



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Gen, Identity Reveal, Reveal, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-30 20:30:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20779316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinBob2410/pseuds/RinBob2410
Summary: Nino's in detention, watching the latest akuma attack while the teacher is out. Marinette's oblivious and rushed enough that she doesn't even notice him sitting in the classroom. For a superhero, she sure is clumsy.





	It Kinda Makes Sense...

**Author's Note:**

> S I realized I greatly desire a scenario like this. And, tbh, I think there just needs to be more Marinette & Nino content, and just Nino content in general??? He's so underrated and their friendship barely gets any acknowledgment.

He’s watching the akuma attack from a livestream on his phone; Alya is already at the scene, doing what she does best, reporting in the line of danger. He wishes she wouldn’t, she’s been hit by the effects of an akuma so many times he’s lost count, and sometimes he’s worried that Ladybug won’t be able to fix everything in the end. But, he knows from experience that Ladybug and Chat Noir would never let that happen, and he knows that no matter what he could try, he could never stop the force that is Alya Césaire. So he watches, wishing he wasn’t the only kid stuck in detention, (some teachers just can't respect that sometimes the mood needs lightened with good music). Instead he could be out there, doing what _he_ does best, protecting her.

So when the classroom door slams open in loud enough to echo across the room, and hard enough that there’s probably a dent in the wall, he turns and hopes its a teacher telling him he can leave on account of the new akuma near-ish to the school.

Instead, he sees Marinette. Who’s moving quick and slamming the door close again. She doesn’t even realize the room is already occupied.

Nino’s surprised, about to say ‘hey, dudette,’ hand in mid wave, planning to ask her why she looks so stressed, when a little creature flies above her shoulder.

Before Nino can even process _holy shit, that’s a kwami!_ Marinette is yelling “Spots on!” and is consumed by a hoard of shining pink sparkles.

Nino’s jaw drops, his glasses slip lower on his nose, and he forgets about everything else, because Marinette’s little pink jeans and black jacket are turning into a tight spandex-like red material with black polka-dots. Her face dons a signature mask, her hair turns at most two shades darker, her stance shifts so firm in a way Nino’s only seen her get when she’s switching into ‘Brave Marinette’ mode. When her transformation’s done, she turns and that’s when she sees the mistake she’s made. Nino’s phone drops completely out of his hand at some point, and he doesn’t even notice it. His mind reeling at this new information as they stare at each other in shock. If someone were to look in, they’d think they’re in some weird staring contest.

_’Marinette Dupain-Cheng, _THE_ MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG, the girl I’ve gone to school with since 1st grade, and one of my closest friends, is LADYBUG.’_

“Nino?!!!” Ladybug--Marinette exclaims, hands at her sides and then grabbing at her hair, her eyes wide, looking completely horrified.

“Marinette!?” Part exclamation, part question. He can’t help his doubt. Maybe he’s crazy and seeing things, because there is _no way_ Marinette just transformed into Ladybug right in front of him.

But then a different part of his brain not suffering in denial realizes how much sense this makes. Pigtails, blue eyes, dark hair, their personalities, akumas are always in the same area, everyone but her and Adrien have been akumatized… Hell, she was the one who chose to have Alya and himself as Rena Rogue and Carapace! Of course it wasn’t a coincidence! She wanted two of her closest friends as her superhero comrades! Is every other Miraculous holder also someone from their class? Chloe was at least. 

His head hurts with this revelation. He rubs his forehead.

Now it makes sense how she could be so brave sometimes, but then be one of the first to hide during an akuma attack. Honestly, it’s so obvious he’s just shocked at how he didn’t realize Marinette’s Ladybug in the first place! He remembers something Adrien once said about Marinette:

_”You’re our everyday Ladybug!”_

Yeah. No shit.

At this point, shock has worn off, and now Nino sits back and crosses his arms, lightly glaring in a suspicious look. How in the world has she kept this secret for so long? Marinette still hasn’t recovered, and her hands are still pulling at her hair, jaw still slack and eyes bulging. But, his shift in positions seems to have reawakened her, for then she moves in front of him so fast she’s almost a blur. Her arm slams onto the desk in front of him, and she leans in close with a cold and dark glare that gives his arms goosebumps and raises the hairs on the back of his neck.

“Um, Marin--”

“Don’t. Tell anyone.”

He blinks twice at her. He’s not used to Marinette being so intimidating. Hell, he didn’t even know the girl was capable of it. She’s brave and strong, sure, but she’s also clumsy and endearing in a goody-two-shoes pure Marinette way. She’d be the type you’d underestimate in a fight because she’s got such a bubbly composure, and then she’d be secretly really strong and manage to kick you in the balls and knock you out in 2 seconds without breaking a sweat. She’s never been so outright scary before, and if he wasn’t set on keeping silent before, he definitely is now.

“O-of course not, dudette-- I mean! Marinette!” He’s sweating bullets now. Her eyes are like a Northern ocean, dark and plunging him in ice. She finally backs away, and turns her back towards him.

“It’s Ladybug.”

“R-right, Ladybug!”

She loosens her firm posture, and starts tapping her foot, muttering to herself and messing up her hair. She starts pacing and now Nino is confused on what the girl must be thinking. The only words he can make out are “Chat,” “secret,” and something like “Master Food.” Suddenly she stops though, and points to him like her finger’s a sword.

“You can’t tell Alya either!” She shouts.

“I…” Wait, actually, he didn’t even think about Alya. It’s almost impossible to keep a secret from her. Then again, Marinette somehow pulled it off. Would he really want to keep secret though? He settles with, “I can try.”

“No, you have to promise me you won’t tell her.” And of course Ms. Lawful and Responsible isn’t satisfied with that.

“Marinette, you know how Alya is--”

“It’s Ladybug! And I know _exactly_ how she is. You still can’t tell her Nino!”

“But, she’s my girlfriend. We don’t keep secrets…”

“Well you have to keep this one! Trust me Nino, if she were in your shoes, she’d keep this secret.” He highly doubts that, but he knows Alya would at least understand why he'd stay silence. Besides, he doesn’t want to face Marinette’s wrath.

“Alright, fine!” Nino sighs in exasperation. “She’ll figure it out someday, y’know.”

Marinette is silent, then she sighs as well.

“Yeah, I know, but I don’t think she’s ready to know yet. I don’t think _you’re_ ready to know yet!”

He guesses that fair. Both him and Alya had just been akumatized again not too long ago as Oblivion. And he’s been told he’s got quite the blabber mouth. He sighs and leans back, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose. This is surprisingly stressful, and he can’t even imagine how Marinette must feel right now. He wouldn’t know how to handle it if his own identity was discovered. He wants to say something that will lighten the tension. Anything to help Marinette calm down right now, and anything to make this feel more like a conversation between friends, and less like a criminal threatening a witness.

“I can’t believe we’re all superheroes. Especially since that’s like three out of the main four! What next, Adrien’s Chat Noir?” He smiles at his own joke. Marinette sighs, but in a soft manner like a mother who had just finished getting after her child. She can’t help giggling a bit at the idea though.

It’s silent for a bit, and Marinette finally decides to sit next to him. She’s still clearly stressed: her posture's bent forward, her hands are crossed behind her neck. But now it’s more like she has a whole night’s worth of homework, instead of a test she didn’t study for. Nino pats her back in a comforting manner. He laughs again as he realizes something stupid about this whole situation.

“You know, Ladybug, you should really check the room before you transform. Do you normally just rush in like that?” How could a superhero as responsible as Ladybug be so careless about transformations?

“I normally do, but I was in such a hurry with the akuma--”

She cuts herself off, her eyes widening again as she stands up stiff.

“Oh my god I forgot the akuma!!”

Nino laughs again. How did he ever think Ladybug was anyone but Marinette? She rushes towards the window and slams it open and places a foot on the windowsill, then she pushes up in a swift and graceful lift without a second thought, yoyo-ing to the next building. She’s so focused on catching the akuma and saving Paris, and he’s reminded how much he admires both Ladybug and Marinette. He picks his phone up off the floor, finally remembering that he dropped it in the first place, before watching the live stream again. Chat Noir seems to sigh in relief as Ladybug has arrived, and Ladybug looks like she barely broke a sweat getting there. 

What a miraculous little dork.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I'm not sure if they've actually gone to school together since 1st grade, but I'm pretty sure they said it at some point in the show.


End file.
